Victims of sexual, violent crimes gain right to address parole boards in new regulations

The rules, announced Sunday, allow victims to choose whether to explain in person or in writing how an offender’s release could threaten their safety.

Victims of sexual and violent offenses will be entitled to address parole boards directly before a prisoner’s early release is decided, under regulations signed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that are due to take effect in December.

The rules, announced Sunday, allow victims to choose whether to explain in person or in writing how an offender’s release could threaten their safety. They also set deadlines and procedures for delivering those statements to the boards.

The change is significant, but it does not create victims’ participation in parole proceedings from scratch. Under the 2001 Crime Victims’ Rights Law, victims of sexual or violent offenses have long been entitled to submit written views on the risks posed by early release. Speaking directly to a parole board, however, was not a guaranteed right.

The new regulations put into practice legislation approved by the Knesset in June 2025, following a bill initiated by MK Chili Tropper and other lawmakers. That law gave victims the option of appearing before a parole board and explicitly added their views about threats to their safety to the considerations the board must weigh.

Parole boards decide whether eligible prisoners can serve the final portion of their sentences outside prison under supervision and conditions. Prisoners are generally eligible to seek such release after serving two-thirds of their sentences. The board must consider factors including their conduct in prison, prospects for rehabilitation and the dangers posed by release.

Victims given deadline to request role at hearing

Under the new procedure, a victim wishing to speak at a hearing must notify the parole board’s secretariat in writing at least 21 days in advance. The rules also allow for cases in which a victim learns of the hearing after that deadline, provided the hearing has not yet taken place.

A victim who prefers to submit a written statement must generally do so no later than seven days before the hearing. Such statements will go to the parole board’s secretariat within the Courts Administration, rather than initially being submitted through the Israel Prison Service, as under the previous regulations.

The accompanying form allows victims to indicate which option they prefer. It also provides for oral statements to be delivered to board members without the prisoner present.

There are limits: The law does not permit a hearing to be postponed solely to accommodate oral testimony if the prisoner has already served two-thirds of the sentence, or would have done so by the postponed date. Victims whose cases are handled by the separate administrative unit dealing with shorter prison sentences retain a right to submit their views in writing, rather than to speak in person.

Years of complaints from victims struggling to be heard

The legislation followed years of complaints from victims who said they struggled to make themselves heard. During Knesset deliberations, a survivor of convicted sex offender Alon Kastiel described difficulties obtaining permission to speak at his parole hearings and receiving adequate notice of proceedings.

Those accounts helped illustrate the difference between being permitted to send a letter and having an enforceable right to appear before the people making the decision.

Levin called strengthening victims’ rights a moral obligation of the justice system and said the regulations would make their participation more accessible while protecting their safety and privacy.

Ben-Gvir said the move would ensure that victims’ voices were heard before an offender was released, describing his policy as “less rights for criminals, more protection for victims.”

The right to speak does not give victims the power to block parole, nor does it make their statements automatically confidential: existing official guidance says written submissions may be shown to prisoners, although the new form provides for victims’ identifying contact details to be withheld.

The regulations are scheduled to come into force on December 1, when the 2025 law takes effect, or on their official publication date if that is later. Their practical impact will depend on whether victims receive timely notice of hearings and are able to use the new procedures.